Pres. Elect Obama, Library of Congress
“Today we begin in earnest the work of making sure that the world we leave our children is just a little bit better than the one we inhabit today.” President Elect, Barack Obama
My inspired friend, Rob Rossel, Ph.D., has written an open letter to our President Elect. Says Rob, “I felt moved to respond to Obama’s request for people’s “Vision” of government listed on his Change.gov website.”
With Rob’s permission, I have posted his letter here. It deserves to be shared.
“A Call for New Vision of Government in America:An Open Letter to Barak Obama
by Robert Rossel, Ph.D., Life Coach
I so appreciate your openness to include us in our government. This, in itself, is the seed of a vision of inclusive participation that is rare and beautiful. Who knows what will flower from it? In this seed is the possibility of a new model of government that will allow people to once again be excited about their country, eager to help their neighbors, hopeful that their participation is truly valued, and awake rather than cynical when it comes the possibilities of our lives together.
One of the things I am most hopeful about and eager to see develop is a spirit of cooperation and sacrifice for a larger purpose that has been characteristic of this country in its finest hours. We have seen people make great sacrifices and lay down petty differences when there is a common belief that our country is under attack and at risk. Alas, several decades have passed since we have seen evidence of this spirit of common destiny and shared sacrifice that unites us. We have been too caught up in our creature comforts and addictive consumption to notice that we are under threat. What is needed is new vision– one in which we see we are part of a vast web of interdependence that connects us not only to each other but to every other country and all other peoples on this planet. This vision must be fueled by the realization that we are under as serious a threat (no, more serious) than at any time in our history. We must come to realize the urgency of this threat and feel as powerful call to meet it as in times of old when we felt called to defend ourselves against a common perceived enemy.It is time for us to realize that the time is now, and the enemy is us! If we do not rise up together to meet this enemy, we will destroy our beloved planet and our ability to sustain life on it. My deepest hope is that your administration will somehow tap into the most noble sentiments of cooperation and sacrifice awakened in your campaign and that those sentiments may be the foundation for a new spirit of collaboration in building a sustainable peaceful world for future generations on this planet. It is time for the United States to become once again a “Beacon on the Hill” pointing the way to a peaceful and sustainable future for all nations and peoples on our beloved earth.”
Read more of Rob’s musing in the post for December 1, 2008.
